How an Attitude of Gratitude Affects Your Life

In November, social media is plastered with gratitude posts and 30-day thankful challenges.  We all feel a little warmer and kinder to others, but what about the rest of the year? Often, when parents are thinking of ways to make their home more loving and peaceful,they focus first on eliminating yelling and harsh discipline. But having an attitude of gratitude year-round is an expressway to happier living. 

How an attitude of gratitude can affect your life

Increases optimism 
When you're consciously grateful, you're more likely to live with a glass half full. 

Improves self-esteem 
When you're grateful, you are more aware of all the good in your life and the good people around you. With that much goodness, you're bound to feel a little good yourself. 

Feel more rested
A happy heart falls asleep quicker and easier. A troubled heart tosses and turns. I don't know about you but I sure like my sleep. Bring on the gratitude journal. 

Decreases stress
When you look for things to be thankful for, the bad stuff doesn't seem so bad.  When I have a lot of big projects coming due, I find myself saying things like "At least, once I'm done, I'll have time to read my new book." I'm less stressed because I'm grateful for something in the future. 

Decreases blood pressure
When you're less stressed, your blood pressure improves. Win win. 

Reduces risk of depression
This is linked back to the glass half full perspective of life. ​

Improves E.I. 
Being grateful and practicing gratefulness helps to improve your emotional intelligence. This has the nice affect of reducing toxic negative emotions from your life. 

​Leads to stronger relationships 
A beautiful affect of  a grateful heart is that your relationships will become stronger, deeper, and healthier. Why? Because you appreciate more nuances of the relationship. If you are whizzing through life, you might miss out on the little things. And people, life IS the little things. My husband preps the coffee maker for me every morning. All I have to do is hit "brew" and my miracle drug pour into the carafe. It's a little thing, but I am grateful for it. Not because it gets me my caffeine fix faster, but because it reminds me how much my husband loves me, and I am surely grateful for that love.

Increases spirituality 
While you're working on improving your attitude of gratitude, it may flow over into your spiritual life. After all, should we not be thankful for this beautiful life we are given? 

What are some ways that you practice gratitude?